


The Kings' Reasons

by Purpleplums



Series: The Kings' Insanity and Reasons [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Character Death, Dark!Merlin, Gen, Hopefully this clears The Kings' Insanity up, I need help, Revenge, The Not-So-Golden Age, This series is pretty dark in general
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 03:59:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14824862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purpleplums/pseuds/Purpleplums
Summary: What caused the two men's descent into madness and power-lust? A short follow up to (hopefully) clear The Kings' Insanity up.





	The Kings' Reasons

**Author's Note:**

> So to celebrate getting a comment on the first work in this series The King's Insanity, I decided to finally post the explanation of my first one shot ever. XD It's quite short and written on my school bus so if there are any parts of the first work in this series that you guys have questions about please don't hesitate to leave a comment below, I'll definitely answer everything less cryptically than I do in my writings. XD Anyways, that little one beside inbox is the only thing that keeps me going in life and I hope you guys enjoy. XD

Merlin’s plot began years ago, when his mother was kidnapped by a neighbouring kingdom forcing Arthur to either give up a strategically crucial part of Camelot or Merlin’s mother. Merlin pleaded and begged and Arthur tried to send diplomats to negotiate a resolution, but neighbouring king’s wishes weren’t complied with and so Hunith was unable to be saved from her fate. When they received her she had been tortured and violated, her body a mangled mess.

Merlin cried for days, he almost went blind from crying, it seemed that even with all his magic, when it came to things like this, only power spoke. Arthur, seeing his friend slowly becoming a more caricature of his former self was decimated. So when Merlin put on a fake cheer and started pretending that everything was going to be alright while he planned his ascent to power, he immediately jumped on board, he would do anything to have Merlin back.

Merlin started feeding Arthur lies, and everything Arthur wanted to hear. But never what he needed to hear. Arthur kept him even closer than before to a point where it could be said that there were two kings of Camelot. Merlin spoke his wishes and aspirations and Arthur executed, figuratively and literally. Then a disease fell upon Camelot.

Magic didn’t work against it and illegal, dark magic was performed by desperate sorcerers to save their family and city on a daily basis. Crying and desperate wailings had become a background noise, faintly sounding as people tried to find a semblance of their old life. The disease devastated Camelot.

But the worst came on a bleak January morning when Queen Guinevere and the prince, Amhar were struck down by the disease. For the disease knew not of the difference of nobility and common, it only knew to take and destroy. Merlin put on a show of trying, because this was better than what he had hoped for, with the heirs of the throne gone, he would have no competition.

The queen and the prince died in their bed, unconscious three days later. Arthur couldn’t even remember their last words. He felt as if their deaths were a wake-up call and was horrified at how dispersed his power was. He couldn’t lean on Merlin anymore.

The disease passed eventually but Arthur had never slept soundly ever again. The control on magic was severely tightened and he began his centralization of power. Council members who had influence disappeared and the last target on Arthur’s list, was Merlin Emrys.

Merlin knew that conditions were almost perfect, he had prophesized Arthur’s insanity to the knights and he planted rumours within the people of Camelot, prophesies “unintentionally” slipped from his mouth and into the ears of the family he visits with gifts and blessings.

Then, he was summoned to dine with Arthur one day.

He knew, by the speeding beats of his heart that the time has come, soon Camelot will see the end of the Pendragon era and the rise of a new king.

His name? Merlin Emrys.

 


End file.
